Punch for perforating cans



July 5, 1960 J. cs. DuBois PUNCH FOR PERFORATING CANS Filed July 22, 1959 T/a en or dz/a Age/1f United States Patent O PUNCH FOR PERFORATING CANS `loseph Grard Dubois, 343 Forbes St., Fredericton, New Brunswick, 'Canada Filed July 22, 1959, Ser. No. 828,781

1 Claim. (Cl. 30-16) The present invention relates to a -kitchen utensil, and more particularly to a device or implement rior punching holes in a liquid containing can.

The main object of the present invention resides 1n the provision of a punch of ythe character described which is easy to handle and can perforate cans and the like metal containers While requiring a minimum of force.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a punch of the character described provided with guiding means which enable -to punch the can at the exact location desired and which also prevents slipping of the punch along the can sur-face as Iit often happens when using conventional punching devices, and which may cause injury to the user.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a punching device of the character described which can be utilised iur punching a hole very close .to the bead of a metal can.

The foregoing objects and other objects of 'the present invention will become more apparent during the following .disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of the punch;

Figure 2 is `a longitudinal section of the same with the punching member in retracted position;

Figure 3 is a section along lline 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section in operative position and showing the top of a can perforated by the punching member; and

Figure 5 is a cross section along line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, the punching device of the present invention v comprises a substantially cylindrical body 1 preferably rnade of ywood or plastic and constituting a handle having a bevelled end 2 and having an axially extending bore 3 which opens at the two ends of the ibody l1.

'Ilwo cylindrical sleeves or bushings 4 and 5 are secured Within the bore 3 by means of rivets or screws 6. One end of .the bushing 4 is alined with the upper end 7 of the body 1 Whereas the other end of the bushing 4 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the adjacent end 9 ot the bushing v5. The lower end 10 of the bushing 5 projects outwardly from the bevelled end 2 of body 1 a distance corresponding to the height of the opstanding bead of a standard can :for preserving food, in order that the lower end 10 of the bushing 5 will bear against the inside lateral iace of said bead, whereas the bevelled end 2 of body 1 will overlie and contact the top edge of said bead in order -to be able to punch the can as close as possible .to said bead. 'Ihe lower end 10 of bushing 5 has a circular free edge wholly lying in a at plane.

A cylindrical plunger member 11 is inserted for longitudinal sliding movement bushings 4 and 5. Plunger 11 is provided with a collar 12 at approximately mid-length, said collar being rigidly xed to the plunger and abutting against the lower end 8 of sleeve 4, in the ricc inactive retracted position of the plunger, under the action of a `coil spring 13 which surrounds plunger 11 and has one end bearing against collar 12 whereas the other end bears against the upper end 9 of bushing 5.

The lower end of plunger 1:1 forms a pointed tip 14 to per-forate the top wall A of a metal can.

The upper end of plunger 11 is provided with a rounded weighted head `15 having a weight suicient to impart to the plunger a certain amount of inertia.

The punch in accordance with the present invention is used as follows: Plunger 11 is normally held in a retracted posit-ion as shown in Figure 2 under the action of coil spring 13. In order to punch the top A of a metal can containing a liquid B, the lower end 10 of bushing 5 is applied against said top .at .the exact location where it is desired to make the perforation and the handle 1 is maintained in vertical position by one hand with the end 10 .bear-ing against top A. The other hand is used to strike the head 15 of the plunger 1 1which causes the tip 14 to strike and penforate the top A. The perioration is easily effected with only a slight .blow of the hand due to the inertia of the `head 15 and of the initial distance separating tip 14 from top A.

It is to be noted that with .the punch in accordance with the present invention it is very easy -to elTect a perforation of the can at the exact spot desired and anywhere on the at end -face of .the can, and that by maintaining .the body 1 with one hand in vertical position and in striking with the head `15 with the other hand, injuries are prevented because it is practically impossible for the punch to slide along the surface of ltop A. The body 1 has a diameter suiicient to provide for a good grip.

The lower end 10 of the bushing or sleeve 5 forms a part of reduced diameter whereby Ithe container can be perforated very close to its upstanding bead.

While ,a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A punch for metal cans comprising a substantially cylindrical body .bevelled at one end and having an axially extendng through bore, ytwo sleeves disposed in spaced relationship and secured within said bore to form .two spaced shoulders, a plunger disposed within said bore and longitudinally slidable therein, said plunger having a pointed .tip at one end and a weighted head at the other end, a spring surrounding said plunger disposed within said bore and urging said plunger to take a retracted position wherein said tip is completely within said bore, movement of said plunger against the action of said spring causing said plunger to take .a projecting active position in which said tip projects outwardly from the bevelled end of said body, a collar secured to and surrounding said plunger and disposed intermediate said shoulders, said collar adapted to .abut against one of said shoulders under the action of said spring in said retracted position of said plunger, said spring surrounding said plunger and abutting said collar at one end and the other of said shoulders at the other end, one of said sleeves projecting from the bevelled lend of said body to form an end portion of reduced diameter of a length greater than the opstanding bead of a can and having a circular free edge wholly lying in a flat plane.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,498,301 Saari et al. r.. June 17, 1924 2,338,592 Lorenzen Ian. 4. 1944 2,597,295 Connor ..-I.-.a-.- May Z0, 1952 

